Just WOW - the hype is real
I'm quite late to the bandwagon, but am so glad that I gave this masterpiece a chance! I've watched many dramas over the years and I have to say this is probably one of the most well written dramas I've seen. The acting and storyline are amazing! I'm very pleased with the cast because they really brought the characters to life.Mei Chang Su is the most beautiful tragic hero, and is a someone who I could not stop admiring episode after episode. His wit and intelligence never failed to amaze me. Despite the mental, physical and emotional pains he had to endure, he is blessed to have loyal and loving friends and comrades. The highlight of this drama is definitely the relationship between Mei Chang Su and the rest of the main characters. The BROMANCE is real yall. I love his bond with Fei Liu, Meng Zhi, Jingyan, Li Chen, etc. There is a bit of romance, but that was not the focal point of the drama (which I very much appreciated). Honestly, the story would have done well even if they decided to forego the romance.
I will say that this drama will require time and patience to watch because it is a slow burn with lots of details, so your full attention is required to really appreciate the story. The rewatch value would be high because I'm sure I missed a few details the first time watching. My only complaint was the way the last episode played out, as there were some things I would have changed (e.g. the filler scenes). Otherwise, I really enjoyed it.
Nirvana in Fire will definitely go down in history as a classic. Thank you to the writer, cast and crew for such a beautiful series.
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So much can happen in a blink of eye
Before starting I want to state that this is my first drama review.So if there is any mistake please spare that.Title: The title is the first thing that attracted me .So in Nirvana in fire ,Mei Changsu is basically the flames. Title is too catchy to ignore.
Cast: I cannot imagine anyone except Hu Ge in that role.The same goes with all the other actors playing their roles.I could feel the ambition in every character.Especially the female leads nailed it.
Story: Perfect.It is the only word that can explain the draam.We can never get another Mei Changsu who is willing to sacrifice everything literally everything for his country and his men.The way he shows his love and care to ni hung and jinyang cannot be explained.On that note Yujin's and jingrui's friendship is underrated here. Every character is subjected to injustice even in the end but they served justice. Jinyang is quiet stupid I guess.But still a good human being.Concubine Jing is truly something.Without her help it would have been difficult for Mei Changsu to serve his purpose. I sympathized with Prince Yu in the end.At least I wanted his last wish to save his unborn child could be granted.Jingrui's story is also quite unique,thrilling and mysterious.Ni hung being a strong female is portrayed well.I think Banruo was the female version of Mei Changsu with more evilness.This drama is male centred but the actual masterminds are all female except Mei Changsu.In the c dramaland Mei Changsu aka lin Shu aka Xiao Shu is still my favourite character.Not to mention that Mei Changsu is my biggest crush till date.
Ending: Bittersweet.And that is what makes it more perfect.The way jingyan removed the red cloth assuming that Lin Shu is never coming back ,the last conversation between nihung and Lin Shu ,the re naming of the army refering to Mei Changsu,is hard it throw out of my mind.
Music was beautiful.I am definitely watching it again.And everytime you watch it just keep attention to the dialogues because you may have to re watch the scene to understand what is actually happening.
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One of the absolute BEST stories out there
Nirvana in Fire is one drama I hold in the highest esteem. I watched it 4-5 years ago and I definitely think this should be a classic. The story is just amazing and so well thought out. The characters were wonderful and the traits they promote in the series make you wish that these characters exist in real life.The pace in the beginning is slow but the setting is so beautiful that it doesn't take away from the drama. I also think it was necessary to set the scene. The acting was flawless. I worried and cared about so many of the characters. Fei Liu is just adorable. The loyalty, the virtue and honour of the characters are so inspiring.
I know series like this is not for everyone, and I'm not even the type to like this kind of series but this is the highest rated series of all time in my mind. This is a MUST WATCH.
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Hu Ge is Mei ChangSu
When I watched this the first time I was like nah although I liked it I won’t be rewatching it but I ate my words big Time because I am currently rewatching it.I’m rewatching solely for the purpose of watching Hu Ge bring Mei ChangSu to life with his loyal band.
Genius strategic mastermind who plays chess while other are playing checkers is the best way to describe the character known as Mei ChangSu/Sir Su/Su Zhe.
He’s impenetrable stares we’re so chilling, it was actually one of the things I liked the most about him. Plus he’s calm and nonchalant demeanor when facing off with his enemies. He portrayed being sick to perfection, I actually would have believed he was really sick.
He had such a majestic presence, it was really a good watch the first time around and now I’m so looking forward to relishing in all his genius glory on this rewatch.
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Worthy of its ratings
I couldn't believe that I waited for several years before finally deciding to watch this series! I wasted a lot of time not knowing how amazing and beautiful it is. Story is written perfectly, it was complex, intriguing, full of smart people, will keep you on edge while watching. Full of bromance, you'll feel a lot of emotion while watching. Characters were portrayed perfectly by the actors/actress, fight scenes were executed well. Cinematography is great.If you haven't watch it and you love intrigues, revenge, politics, wars, bromance/family/friendship drama, then you better watch this. It is all worth it, the 54 episodes were not enough for me. Will surely miss the entire casts.
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Watched this in 2022 and this drama is not for me
I wanted to watch this drama because of the hype and also because of the director. To be honest , I agree that among many many costume c-dramas, this is one of the good ones given the fact that this is released in 2015. But whether you will like this drama and find it captivating or not depends on what kind of c-dramas you have watched before. For eg., if you had watched Joy of Life before this , you will seriously be bored and disappointed by this drama. On the other hand , if you had watched romance k-dramas/c-drams always and wanted to try a political costume c-drama for the first time , you may feel pretty happy with this.Another major pain point is, this drama is conversation heavy. Around 80 % of the time, it is just somebody talking about the revenge, plot etc., And the flashback scenes are cut heavily because of Zhang Zhehan's problem in China ( which is really frustrating in my opinion). And the music is not that great or memorable. I felt that the drama is dragged unnecessarily until 54 episodes. it could have been closed at 40.
I thank the team for not bringing romance into this and sticking to revenge political plot.
One of the BIGGEST disappointments for me is, the sequel of this is actually not a real sequel. Nirvana is Fire 2 is actually a different drama just with some links to the past. I expected Fei Lu, Meng, Jingrui, Lin Shu in sequel.. but it didn't happen.
Will I recommend this to you? If you are new to political revenge plots in c-drama world, you can give this a try.
If you had already watched master pieces like Joy of Life or if you don't like too much talking , this is not for you.stay away.
Did I enjoy watching this? Not really.
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Direction Outstanding.
Settings - again -- Outstanding
The amazing thing about this drama was how with every little movement of the characters in close camera scenes the camera would move likewise in a fluid movement making it seem as if we were watching in 2nd person. (Every drama the camera moves but not like this.. Ripley's believe it or not)
Story was great - The writer just knew which scenes not to elaborate to keep the flow of the story with the original feel (A writer who knows his shortcomings and where in he cant make the scene abosulutely special is worth commending)
One Word :- Heartwarming!
Advice :- Miss it at your own peril x-)
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1This review may contain spoilers
A Golden Treat in a Michelin Star Restaurant
I'm gonna keep my review short and simple and spoiler free. This was hard for me to write so beware of my cringey and ridiculous review.Nirvana in Fire is truly one of a kind. How can I describe my journey of this show? It's like going to a Michelin Star restaurant. I was tired of the same old food I'm eating and I craved for something new. Something exquisite and something unique for my taste buds to explore. A different kind of cuisine I've always wanted to scout. Everyone kept talking about this place that I must check out and my curiosity level went up. Why did everyone love this restaurant? Did they add any secret formula like the Krabby Patty? I read reviews of it and one day, I finally said, *fuck it* let's give this a shot. I went in without any expectations, ordered their 3 course meal and I got blown away. I thought I was not gonna like it, I took my first bite, it was different, then I took a few more bites and I had flavours exploding in my mouth that I had to slowly indulged and savoured every bite I took. Finally, I finished it off with a glass of wine that showed a bittersweet ending. What a ride.
I'll be honest, it was hard for me to get into the show at first. The first episode I already got introduced to so many characters that I don't even know which character I should pay attention to. The directing was different, they talked more than they showed and I was not used to it. Since this show was political, which I'd never tried watched it before because I never liked political shows, of course I got confused XD. Therefore, I would like to thank the character guides and recaps for helping me to understand what was going on in the story.
The plot was complex and intriguing. I wanted to see more about the revenge but I couldn't binge it in one go. Instead, I slowly took my time to watch. After every episode, I read recaps to see what I'd missed out. This show must be watched in detail, if you missed one small detail, you would not understand a damn thing. This show is not your typical kind of revenge story. It's more than that. I don't know how I can describe it in words, but when you watch it, you'll understand why. I won't spoil so much of the plot. Surprise yourself.
Now, for the characters. I'll just write on 2 of my favourite characters there. I'll start off with the lead protagonist, Mei Chang Su. He is a very intelligent strategist and he shows who's boss. He is the type who comes here for business. His main goal is to fulfill his duty and to clear his family's name. He's admirable and he never lets his weakness get the better of him. He knows what's he capable of and plans everything ahead. Be like Chang Su and don't do your work last minute. Don't even dare to mess with him. He'll eventually bite you in the end. Prince Jing is my other favourite. He's a fine man indeed. He's brave and bold. He stays true to himself and will do anything to protect his loved ones. A great character who has proven himself to be a great leader. We need more people like him.
The ending exceeded my expectations. I cried a lot for this bittersweet ending. It's probably the ending I never thought it could work. In the end, it did.
Do I recommend people to watch the show? Of course. Don't watch alone, watch it with your loved ones. Discuss the theories together. Just wear your best pajamas, grab a glass of wine and your favourite snack, perhaps some tangerines? Prepare some tissues and enjoy the ride because it's gonna drive you crazy. Goodnight.
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Brilliant
Mei Changsu is so intelligent! It almost seems like he is predicting the future. One good thing about this is that the intelligent villains and main characters are consistently intelligent. They don't lose IQ or what. The story is also good. Picture quality is superb too w/ nice costumes. No plot armour for characters, and realistic.Fei Liu is very cute. He always compete with the general abhaha. These two are very loyal to MCS. I love their characters.
Sad ending.
I also like the Second Prince. Even though he is the villain, I think he is suited for this role.
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Smartest Historical friendship drama I've ever watched
I just finished this master piece and I'm so sad that it ended ,, I will watch season two just because it has the same nameI will watch also the disguiser just because it has the same main leads
that's How I love this drama so much ,,, I chose to watch it in spiritual time for me and it didn't disappoint on the contrary
I enjoyed it so much
The story is perfect ,, had every thing I like ,, it didn't lack anything
it had the brotherhood/ friendship , the main lead's struggles , the light romance , the faithful relationships , the strong antagonist ,, a lot of Whump too for the male lead
The friendship between the two male lead was amazing with no exaggeration or forced physical attractions between the male leads , they loved each others as brothers to death and beyond ,, it was mature relationship with it strong story behind it
The acting was amazing from every actor even the young Wu lei was amazing in his young age made me laugh ,, broke a lot of tension in difficult episodes ,, it was the right add on to the mix
The intelligence of the writers plot made my head spins in a good way not confusing way ,, it's really smart
I can't say enough about this drama
only that I put it as the best Historical drama I've every watched ,, it dethroned Untamed in my best watched
I highly recommend this drama to anyone ,, it's really the best
you can't hate it even if you want to
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